Divided we fall

After the summer holiday, politics is again in full swing. Two pro-Beijing political parties - the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Liberal Party - have been invited to the capital to meet mainland officials. Among other matters, they will discuss the chief executive election in March.

It is an open secret that there is no love lost between Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and the two parties. It looks likely, however, that Mr Tsang will be anointed by Beijing for a second term. Mainland officials will urge the two parties to work hard on December's election of the 800-member chief executive Election Committee, to ensure widespread participation.

Although there are more than 3.2 million registered voters, only 200,000 have the right to choose Election Committee members. Adding insult to injury, the committee will be chosen on December 10, which is International Human Rights Day.

Holding a poll by limited franchise on that day is deplorable enough, but the election of the chief executive in March - by 800 people - is downright insulting.

The leader of the Liberal Party, James Tien Pei-chun, says he will tell Beijing that his party supports the direct election of Hong Kong's leader in 2012 - provided the chief executive forms a ruling coalition with the pro-government parties in the Legislative Council, and the candidates are acceptable to Beijing.

I have no problem with the former, but cannot agree with the latter. Introducing a mechanism to exclude candidates who are unacceptable to the central government means the election is neither free nor fair.

Although the two political parties have been invited to Beijing, the pan-democratic camp is being excluded. And it seems unlikely that Beijing will make any concession on universal suffrage. It's an open question whether the pan-democrats will take part in the chief executive election. There are reports that former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang is preparing to rule out a challenge.